Those headlines give you the gist of this still developing
story, one that undoubtedly will keep more than archaeologists on the edge of
their seats for quite some time.

Photo: Alexandros Mihailidis/AP

The tomb won’t be opened until the end of August, but
already some are calling it the archeological find of the century; some view it
as an astrological demonstration of the power of Leo in Jupiter—this being the
Zodiac month of Leo, the lion being the guardian of tombs, and Jupiter the
Roman equivalent of Zeus; and virtually all Greeks see it as an “up yours” to
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)’s claim to the name “Macedonia”
and appropriation of the legacy and symbols of Alexander the Great as its own.

Heavy stuff, with a lot more expected to come, not the least
of which are anticipated breathtaking hoards of gold in keeping with the way
things were done back in those days.That’s also one explanation for round-the-clock police protection at the
site.

Treasures from nearby tomb of Philip II of Macedon at Vergina

The news stories covering the find are generally the same,
and things are so preliminary at this point (and the mood so ebullient) that
it’s hard to get any more solid facts from folks on the ground than what’s in
the newspapers.

I guess they’re mindful of what US television newsman
Geraldo Rivera found on live TV in opening the subject of the hugely hyped
television special, “The Vaults of Al Capone” (1987).Hint: Shut your eyes and what do you see?

I have it on good authority though, that they’re hoping to
find a blood relative of Alexander the Great in sufficiently good condition to
yield up a DNA sample, and thus open up a whole new world of exploration and
explanation.

Hmm, “Be careful what you wish for” comes to mind.

Anyway, here’s one news story on this truly extraordinary
find as reported by Nick Squires in The Telegraph:

Archaeologists uncover entrance to important tomb from reign of
warrior-king Alexander the Great.

Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a vast tomb that they believe is connected
with the reign of the warrior-king Alexander the Great, who conquered vast
swathes of the ancient world between Greece and India.

The tomb, dating to around 300 BC, may have
held the body of one of Alexander's generals or a member of his family. It was
found beneath a huge burial mound near the ancient site of Amphipolis in
northern Greece.

Antonis Samaras, Greece's prime minister,
visited the dig on Tuesday and described the discovery as "clearly
extremely significant."

A broad, five-yard wide road led up to the
tomb, the entrance of which was flanked by two carved sphinxes. It was
encircled by a 500 yard long marble outer wall. Experts believe a 16ft tall
lion sculpture previously discovered nearby once stood on top of the tomb. [Ed.
Note: The Lion of Amphipolis was unearthed a century ago five kilometers away.]

The Lion of Amphipolis, 4th Century BCE

They ruled out the possibility that the tomb
could be that of Alexander - the emperor is believed to have been buried in
Egypt after he died of a fever in Babylon in 323BC.

The tomb was found in Greece's northern
Macedonia region, from where Alexander began to forge his empire.

"It is certain that we stand before an
especially significant finding. The land of Macedonia continues to move and
surprise us, revealing its unique treasures, which combine to form the unique
mosaic of Greek history of which all Greeks are very proud," said Mr
Samaras.

Archaeologists, who began excavating the
site in 2012, hope to fully explore the tomb by the end of the month to
determine exactly who was buried there. The site is being guarded by police
while archaeologists continue their excavations.

Photo: Alexandros Mihailidis/AP

Catherine Peristeri, the head of the ancient
monuments department in northern Greece, said some of Alexander's generals and
admirals had links to the area around the ancient city of Amphipolis. It was
also the place where his wife, Roxana, and son, were killed in 311BC by
Cassander, a Macedonian general who fought over the empire after Alexander the
Great's death.

Situated about 65 miles northeast of
Greece's second-biggest city, Thessaloniki, the tomb appears to be the largest
ever discovered in Greece.

It probably belonged to "a prominent
Macedonian of that era," a culture ministry official told Reuters.

The tomb, which consists of white marble
decorations and frescoed walls, was partially destroyed during the Roman
occupation of Greece.

Amphipolis was founded as an Athenian colony
in 437 BC but conquered by Philip II of Macedon, Alexander's father, in 357 BC.

Alexander the Great single-handedly changed
the history of the ancient world with a lightning pace of conquest. Born in
Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in 356 BC, he was educated by the
philosopher Aristotle. When his father was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander
set about consolidating his hold on the kingdom of Macedonia before embarking
on the conquest of the powerful Persian Empire.

He led his army to victories across Asia
Minor, Syria and Egypt, establishing an empire that eventually stretched from
the Danube to the frontiers of India.

17 comments:

Since the tomb of Philip II had not been raided in ancient days, and if this tomb wasn't raided in ancient days, it begs the question: were ancient Greeks that inept, or were they that respectful and honest? The Egyptians couldn't keep a tomb from being robbed before sunset.

On a more serious note, some have observed that two sphinxes found at the site are headless, suggesting the area had been plundered. Others found excitement in that fact, pointing out the two headless statues may have always been that way, and offering a clue as to who might be buried inside: Both Alexander's wife and son were beheaded by Cassander!

Interesting! Regardless of who was/is buried there, it's bound to be very fascinating.

But all of this brings up the question I've asked before (elsewhere): how does someone have to be dead and buried before it's okay to "disturb their rest" in the name of exploration? 100 years? 200 years? 1000 years? At what point does it stop being the "remains of a once living human that shall not be disturbed"???

I'm not arguing against archeology, on the contrary, I'm all for it. But I find the psychology of the treatment of the dead to be fascinating. An appropriate topic for this forum, non?

Given the breadth of Alexander’s conquests, if were a politician in Skopje, I’d insist that the Athens regime change Ελλάδα’s name to “The Former Macedonian Republic of Greece, co-starring Aristotle.”

I saw Phillip II’s treasure at the museum in Thessaloniki in 1997 (Yep, the raiders apparently left something.). Stunning, breath-taking, and it would have been even better if the air conditioning had been working. ================================= Detectives Beyond Borders"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com

I'm so happy you like what I write. I didn't delete your comments, one of my colleagues did. You are the best possible example I could hope for of why I love Greece. They tolerate everyone here. By the way it's Golden Dawn, not Down...that goes in pillows.As for your offer to come visit. Stop by anytime. I'll leave the light on for you. Filakia.

Jeff, this is positively fascinating. I love it when something new and evidently this important is found. "What lies beneath?" has to be one of the most intriguing questions we humans can ask. KEEP US POSTED!!!